Beer drawing apparatus



y 1939- J. c. BAKER BEER DRAWING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept.14, 1936 NVENTOR AL. ATTORNEY y 1939- J. c. BAKER BEER DRAWING APPARATUSFiled Sept. 14, 1936 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 2 1 ENTOR M, (I w k. ATTORNEYPatented July 11,1939 i 2,165,605

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BEER. DRAWING APPARATUS John 0. Baker,Montclair, N. J assignor to Novadel-Agene Corporation, Belleville, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Application September 14, 1936, Serial No.100,585

6 Claims. (01. 225-3) This invention relates to a method andappapressure being reduced gradually as the beer ratus for drawing beerand other brew. The flows through the draft tube at full flow, the rateinvention aims generally to provide a method and of flow is reduced muchbelow the full flow rate apparatus whereby the beer may easily and ofthe tube and nearly the Whole pressure drop 5 quickly be drawn from thekeg or other container occurs at the restriction, and, in addition, by 5and discharged into a glass or other receptacle reason of the divergingwalls of the space imto fill the glass with quiescent clear live beermediately beyond the restriction, the beer is sudhaving substantiallyall the dissolved gas which denly subjected to a sub-atmosphericpressure as it contained in the keg and surmounted by a it leaves therestriction flowing at high velocity,

collar, or head, of the desired amountof creamy so that the dissolvedgas in the beer is caused 10 fine-texture foam; and whereby this may bedone suddenly to expand and form minute bubbles at without waste, andwithout requiring special skill a multiplicity of points, therebychanging a. large on the part of the bartender or other attendant. part,or even substantially all, of the flowing With the dispensing apparatusnow generally cooled liquid beer intoa fine-texture creamy foam.

in use a substantial amount of the gas dissolved The proportion of foamto quiet clear solid beer 15 under pressure in the beer or other brew inthe deposited in the glass may be variediat will as keg is released fromthe beer as it flows through desired. The invention includes, also,apparathe draft tube and an excessive amount of foam tus for carryingout the method. is present in the beeras it is discharged into Theinvention involves the use of a draft tube the glass and a furtheramount of foam forms in in which when flow to the full capacity of the20 the glass, and the foam is of comparatively coarse tube under thepressure in the container is pertexture, being formed of comparativelylarge mitted, the pressure energy of the beer is largely bubbles. Thisis bad for three reasons. It causes absorbed by friction, and which isprovided with waste of beer, since in order to have a suitable a valvewhich when fully opened permits full unt of C ear beer in e glass whenserved flow through the tube and the drawing of clear 5 the glass mustbe filled s0 that a large amount quiet beer, and when only slightlyopened causes of beer is lost by foam over the top of the glass; thedelivery of a fine creamy foam. If the draft it causes waste of time,since the attendant must tube is a smooth bore tube of such small insidewait before removing the filled glass for service cross-area and of suchlength that at full flow until the body of beer in the glass issubstantially under a given pressure on the beer in the keg clear and hehas combed off. the last excess the pressure energy of the beer ismostly absorbed foam; and the clear beer finally obtained in the byfriction, the pressure on the beer being gradglass has lost much of itslife or zest through ually reduced in the tube to substantially attheescape of a large part of its dissolved gas. mospheric pressure and flowvelocity being com- The present invention comprises a method parativelylow, the beer will flow quietly and 5 wherein the beer or other beverageis drawn from smoothly from the tube into a glass or other rea keg orother container in which it is mainceptacle with but very little foam.Under a tained under pressure and at dispensing tempergreater kegpressure with the same friction tube, ature, and wherein the major partof the beer the flow velocity at full flow is somewhat greater,

drawn in filling each glass or other receptacle has but if a dischargepassage is provided of greater 40 its pressure gradually reduced tosubstantially cross-area than the small bore friction tube, atmosphericpressure and its velocity controlled through which passage the beer isdischarged by friction as it flows at a desired rate through a from thefriction tube, then, unless the keg prespassage of cross-area and lengthdetermined acsure is so great as to cause too high flow veloccording tothe pressure maintained on the beer ity, the excess velocity of the beeris absorbed 45 in the keg, from which passage it enters at comas itflows from the friction tube into the larger paratively low velocity ashort passage of a greatdischarge passage without gas-releasing agitaercross-area from which it is discharged into the tion, and the beer flowsquietly and smoothly glass quietly as a clear liquid; and wherein a fromsuch discharge passage into the glass with small part of the brew foreach filled glass is very little foam. A friction tube of 1 6" inside 50discharged into the glass, either before or after diameter and 3 ft.long with a short discharge the major part, as a fine creamy foam byinpassage of about inside diameter serves well troducing into theoutflow passage a. restriction for drawing quiet substantial foamlessbeer at a followed by a space having walls which diverge suitable ratefor usual bar dispensing from a keg in the direction of flow whereby,instead of the in which the beer is'cooled to dispensing tem 55 which isotherwise shaped to serve as a vacuum'- producing expanding space. Therestricted orifice largely reduces the flow rate so that the beerreaches the orifice under nearly the full keg pressure and flows throughthe orifice at high velocity, and because of this high velocity and thediverging walls just beyond the orifice the beer is suddenly subjectedto a sub-atmospheric pressure. This sudden pressure drop, from apressure nearly that on the beer in the keg to a pressure substantiallybelow atmosphere, causes a sudden expansion of the gas dissolved in thebeer whereby a large part of the solid liquid beer is changed into afine-texture creamy foam. If the opening is small enough, all or nearlyall of the beer will be converted into this fine foam. As the valve isopened wider, there will be less foam and more liquid. The dense,fine-textured, creamy foam produced in this way is more lasting than theusual larger bubble foam, and is more pleasing in appearance andincreases the appetite appeal of the glass of beer.

In drawing a glass of beer, it is best first to throw the valve quicklyto full open position and hold it openlong enough to draw nearly a fullglass of quiet beer with very little foam, and then opening thevalveafter having closed it quickly,

or by holding it for a moment in foam-forming.

position when closing it. The foam may be discharged into the glassfirst and then the quiet beer, but in drawing in that way the foam willnot be of as fine texture. Good results may also be obtained by openingor closing the valve slowly, but the foam will not be as fine texturedas when the quiet beer is drawn first and the foam then added. Theamount of foam discharged into the glass will depend on the extent towhich thevalve is partially open and the length of time of partialopening, and may be varied at will by varying the extent and duration ofpartial opening. H

The beer in the keg should be cooled and maintained cool at asubstantially constant temperavarying over some considerable length.. Ihave used with good results a friction tube of the plain smooth boretype shown about 2 ft..long and g" bore with a discharge passage orspout of bore and between 3 and 4 long for keg pressures of from 4 to 10pounds above atmosphere, but best results have been obtained with thekeg pressure maintained at about 8 lbs. It is desirable, also,'that thebeer should carry a fairly uniform amount of the dissolved gas. Thedraft tube of the dimensions given, with the beer at the temperatureand. under the pressure stated, has been used for beer having the usualcarbon dioxide content which gives a dissolved gas pressure, orequilibrium pressure, of about 15 lbs. in the cooled keg before tapping,which pressure falls somewhat in the time during which the beer isdrawn. The maintained keg pressure of about 8 lbs., although somewhatless than the equilibrium pressure of the beer, is sufficient to keepthe beer in suitably charged condition. A more rapid rate of drawing ofthe beer with the same full flow velocity in the friction tube may beobtained by using a larger valve and discharge passage and enlarging thebore and increasing the length of the friction tube.

The first beer drawn after an interval during which exposed parts of thedraft tube have become more or less warmed will be somewhat warmed bycontact with the flow passage walls. It is desirable, therefore, thatthe design of the draft tube be such that the total amount of metal orother material in the friction tube and valve and spout is as small aspossible consistent with the suitable size and strength, so that ondrawing the first glass of beer after any considerable intervalfollowing the previous drawing only a relatively small amount of thebeer going into the glass will be so warmed, thus enabling asatisfactory glass of beer to be drawn even after an interval duringwhich the exposed parts with which the beer comes in contact have becomewarmed to room temperature. Warming the beer increases the pressure ofits dissolved gas and thus tends to form foam even at full flow throughthe draft tube. The higher the temperature of the beer, the moredifficult it is to draw quiet clear beer; and, on the other hand, thecolder the beer, the more difilcult it is to produce the desired foam.

Other features of the invention will be brought out in the followingdescription in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating anapproved form of draft tube for practicing the method and embodyingapparatus features of the invention, and certain modifications thereof.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general view of a beer keg provided with a cooling coil andfitted with a draft tube according to the invention, the keg being shownin section and the other parts in elevation;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the draft tube with portionsbroken out, showing the valve in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section through the valve plug and adjacent parts taken online 4-4 of Fig. 3 but showing the valve plug turned to full openposition for drawing quiet beer;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the valve plug in crackedposition for drawing foam; and

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are sectional views of the valve and adjacent partsillustrating the use of valves of other forms. 7

Referring to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1 to 5, the keg I0 isprovided with a coil l I through which cooling fluid at controlledtemperature is circulated for maintaining the beer in the keg at thedesired temperature, that is, at dispensing temperature. The draft tubeI5 is inserted, in the usual or any suitable manner, through the draftopening in the head of the keg, the tube extending downward to or closeto the bottom end of the keg. Agastubelli is 'providedforsupplyingpressure gas to the space above the liquid in the :keg, "the gas, whichis most desirably car bon dioxide, :being supplied from any suitablesource at the desired pressure and flowing into the keg past a checkvalve I! whenever the gas pressure in the space above the .liquid dropsbelow the pressure to be maintained therein.

The draft tube .comprises a velocity reducing friction tube '20, a spout2| providing a discharge passage of greater cross-area than the frictiontube, and a valve 22 between the friction tube and the spout. Thefriction tube 20, which, most desirably and as shown, is a small boretube, is mounted within a casing tube 23 which protects the frictiontube and provides a heat insulating air space about the portion .of thetube extending above .the keg, and it has at its lower end a suitablestrainer 24 which as shown is formed by a tube sleeved on and extendingbeyond the end of the friction tube and having a plurality of narrowcross slots therein which provide narrow straining inlets the combinedcross-area of which exceeds that .of the friction tube. The casing tubedesirably has .a closed lower end to rest on the bottom of the keg andhas a plurality of inlet openings 25 at its lower end the combinedcrossarea of which is greater than that of the friction tube.

The valve 22 as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 is a rotary plug valve mountedwithin a valve head, or casing, 30 which has a threaded neck screwedinto asocket piece 3| secured to the upper end of the casing tube 23.From the bottom of the valve casing, considering the draft tube to beset vertically as shown, an inlet port 32 extends upward to the plugbore 33, the upper part of the bore forming this port being of the samesize as the bore of the friction tube 20 and the lower part sufiicientlylarger to receive the end of the friction tube. A packing washer 34between the bottom of the socket of the piece 3| and the bottom end ofthe neck of the valve casing serves to make a tight joint about the endof the friction tube. The plug bore 33 extends horizontally through thevalve casing,,and the plug and the plug bore are most desirablycorrespondingly tapered, the plug being held drawn into thetapered boreby a screw 35 the head of which bears against a spring washer 36. Theplug carries an operating handle by which it may be turned between itsclosed position and full open position, movement of the plug beinglimited by meansof a stop 4| moving in a recess in theend ofthe valvecasing as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. The spout 2| extends from.one side of the valve casing, the casing having an outlet port 42 whichextends to the valve bore 33, the inner portion of the bore forming thisport beingmost desirably of the same size as the adjacentend of the boreof the spout, the outer portion being enlarged to receive the end of the.spout. The spout is most desirably ofunifbrmbore throughout. The upperend of the discharge passage, including the port 42, extends in ahorizontal direction, or it might be at a slight downward slant, and

p the spout is curved downwardly, so that when the valve is closed beerin the discharge passage will drain out, means as hereinafter describedbeing provided most desirably for venting the upper found it mostdesirable tongake of the shape shown by forming a recess extending infrom one side of the plug which is of a width lengthwise of the plugabout equal to the diameter of the discharge passage and which has endwalls extending at right angles to each other, one end wall 46 extendingupward "from the port 32 when the valve is in wide open position beingrounded, and the other, 41, being fiat. It is not necessary that one ofthese walls be rounded and the other flat, but a recess of this shapeserves the purpose well and is easier to machine out in the plug than arecess having two flat Walls or one having two rounded walls.

Fig. 2 shows the valve in closed position in which the solid peripheralwall of the valve closes the end of the bore .32. When the handle 40 isthrown forward and downward to wide open position as shown in Fig. 4 theends of both the inlet port 32 and the outlet port 42 are completelyopen. With the valve in this position, beer will flow upward under kegpressure through the friction tube to the full capacity of the tube at asuitable rate, the pressure energy of the beer being largely absorbed byi'lowfriction and the beer reaching the discharge end of the boreatsubstantially atmospheric pressure and with a velocity comparatively lowbut somewhat greater than it should be for discharge withoutgas-releasing agitationi This excess velocity is absorbed as the beerflows in to' the valve port 45, which in effect forms with the valve inits full open position a continuation of the discharge passage, and thebeer then flows at reduced velocity through the discharge passage. Itwill be seen that with the valve in this wide open position there :areno shoulders or other irregularities in the vflow passage .to producevacuum conditions and, therefore, foam, even when the beer is flowing atthe full flow rate.

When the valve is turned to a slightly open position ;as shown by Fig.5, to provide only a small :orii-lce for the passage of beer from thefriction tube, the rate of flow will be largely reduced, with the resultthat the beer will reach the orifice under nearly the full keg pressureand will (flow through the orifice. at high velocity.

a sub-atmospheric pressure, and this sudden drop a tosub-atmosphericpressure will cause a sudden expansion of the gasdissolved in the beer so that the beer, or a large part thereof, willchange into foam and the foam will be of very fine texture. Theproportion of the'beer which is thus changed into foam and that whichremains liquid will depend on thesize of the orifice. With a very smallorifice all or nearly all of the beer will be converted into foam. Thisfoam or mixture of foam and liquid will then flow out through thedischarge passage. The exact angle there should be between the divergingwalls of the space just beyond the restricted orifice when the valve isin the slightly open position cannot be stated.

A space of the form shown by Fig. 5 has been used and found to giveexcellent results. It may be noted that, because of the immediateformation of foam'as the beer enters this space from the orifice, theangle between the diverging walls may be and -should be much greaterthan they should .bein order to obtain an equivalent sub-atmos-' phericpressure with a non-foaming liquid or one which would not develop asmuch foam.

A port 50 opens from the top of the plug bore to a vent passage whichextends through the upper part of the valve casing, the port 50 beingpositioned so that when the valve is closed, as shown in Fig. 2, airwill be admitted to the inner upper end of the discharge passage. Anybeer whether solid or foamy will thus be permitted to drain'quickly fromthe discharge passage upon the closing of the valve. The only beerremaining in any part of the outflow passage will then be that in thevertical tube below the valve, and as the beer in the upper part of thispassage becomes slightly warm, gas is released from it and all the beerin the passage flows back into the keg in a comparatively short time.Thus, no beer stands for any considerable length of time in any part ofthe outflow passage.

While I have found it most desirable to use a tapered plug valve such asshown, it is obvious that valves of different design may be used toserve the purposes of the invention. -What is essential is that thevalve in one position of adjustment shall permit the beer to flow atfull capacity of the friction tube into a suitably shaped space which isin efiect a continuation of the discharge passage, so that as the beerflows from the upper end of the friction tube its excess velocity willbe absorbed and there will be an absence of foam developing agitation,and that when the valve is in a partially open position there will beimmediately beyond the restricted orifice a vacuum-producing expandingspace. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate three alternative forms of valvewhich have been found to give satisfactory results.

In Fig. 6 the discharge'passage of the spout 2la connects with a bore ina valve body 30a into which the upper end of the friction tube extendsto discharge into such bore. Fitted within the spout and the valve bodybore is a tube 60 of flexible elastic material such as suitablyvulcanized India rubber. Pivotally mounted within a recess opening fromthe top of the valve body bore is a flap 6| mounted on a spindle 62which extends to the outside of the valve body and carries an operatinghandle 63. The flap BI is rounded at its outer end and serves whenturned downwardly to collapse a portion of the wall in the tube 60downwardly and force it toward the opposite wall to a position such, forexample, as shown in Fig. 6, to provide a restricted orifice with anexpanding space immediately beyond the orifice. It is obvious that withthis valvedevice in the slightly open position shown the rate of flow ofthe beer will be much reduced, nearly all of the pressure drop willoccur at the valve-orilice, and the beer flowing through the orifice athigh velocity will immediately beyond the orifice be subjected to apartial vacuum resulting in the formation of fine textured foam in themanner before described. When the operating handlle 63 is thrown to theright in Fig. 6 to raise the arm 6|, the resilient wall of the tube willtake its normal position to permit full flow of beer through thefriction tube and quiet low-velocity flow out through the dischargepassage. By throwing the operating handle further to the left from theposition shown in Fig. 6, outflow of beer will be entirely prevented.

Fig. 7 shows a plunger valve in which the valve body 301) has ahorizontal bore as in Fig. 6 into which the friction tube 20 discharges,the spout 2 lb being connected to the valve head to provide adischargepassage leading from the valve body bore. The valve proper 22b is formedby a plunger which may be slid up and down in a recess by means of anoperating rod H extending out through a stuffing box 12. The lower faceof the valve plu'nger'isbevelled upward in the direction of flow pastthe valve, and the valve is shaped with respect to the shape of thevalve head bore so that when pushed all the way down any flow past thevalve is'prevented. When moved all the way up into the recess 10 fullflow through the friction tube and into the discharge passage ispermitted. The opening past the valve is so large and the flow velocitypast the valve so low that the recess left opposite the inclined face ofthe valve does not cause foam-forming eddying or other agitation. Whenthe valve is in a slightly open position,as shown in Fig. 7, aflow-resisting orifice is provided with a vacuum-producing expanding.space immediately beyond the orificewhereby beer flowing at highvelocity through the orifice is, as it leaves the orifice, suddenlysubjeced to a sub-atmospheric pressure resulting in. theproduction offine texture foam as with other valves shown.

Fig- 8 shows another-form of plunger valve in which a cylindrical valveplunger 220 is mounted to move vertically in a cylindrical bore intheValve body 300 in alignment with the inlet port 320.. The valveplungerhas a conical lower end, and the bottom of the bore about theinlet port in the valve body is also-conical, but the angle of the coneis somewhat less than that of the conical end of the valve plunger. Thevalve when in closed position seats in the inlet port 320 and when drawnup high enough permits full flow through the friction tube and inletport 320 into a space of a size and form suitable to absorb the excessvelocity of the liquid. When the valve is in the partially open positionshown in Fig.8 a flow restricting orifice is provided at the' end ofitheinlet port, and an annular vacuum producing expandingspace'immediately beyond theorifice;

- The term beer-as us'ed'in the claims is to be understood as includingother brews such as ale, porter, stout, weiss beer, and the like.

What is'claimed'is:

1. The method of drawing beer into a recepdispensing temperature, whichcomprises drawing and discharging into the receptacle the major portionof the beer for the receptacle as quiet solid liquid by reducing thepressure on the beer gradually by friction as it flows through anoutflow .passage'andfdischarging it into the receptacle without,foam-forming agitation, and drawing anddischarging into'the receptacle aminor portion of thebe'erfor the receptacle converted into a finetexturefoam by reducing suddenly the pressure on the 'outflowing beer toa sub-- atmospheric pressure, whereby gas dissolved in the beer iscaused to expand suddenly, and discharging the resulting foam into thereceptacle. 2. The method of drawing beer into a receptacle from acontainer. in which the beer is maindrawing and discharging into thereceptacle, the

major part of the beer for filling the receptacle as quiet solid liquidby controlling the flow velocity of the beer and gradually reducing thepressure on the beer substantially to atmospheric pressure by frictionas it flows through a small bore outflow passage, further reducing theflow velocity of the beer as it leaves said outflow passage, anddischarging it into the receptacle without foam-forming agitation; andthereafter drawing and discharging into the receptacle a minor portionof the beer for the receptacle converted into a fine texture foam byreducing suddenly the pressure on the outfiowing beer to asub-atmospheric pressure, whereby gas dissolved in the beer is caused toexpand suddenly, and discharging the resulting foam into the receptacle.

3. In the drawing of beer into a receptacle from a container in whichthe beer is maintained under a discharging pressure of more than 4pounds above atmospheric pressure and less than the equilibrium pressureof the beer and at a dispensing temperature, the method which comprisespermitting a minor portion of the beer for the receptacle to flowthrough an outflow passage in which substantially the container pressureis maintained to a restriction, and subjecting the beer suddenly as itleaves the restriction flowing at high velocity to a sub-atmosphericpressure whereby gas dissolved in the beer is caused to expand suddenlyand to convert a large part of the cold liquid into fine-texture creamyfoam.

4. The combination with a beer container and means for maintaining beertherein under a discharging pressure of more than 4 pounds aboveatmospheric pressure and less than the equilibrium pressure of the beerand at a dispensing temperature, of a draft tube having a valve at theoutlet end thereof and having a spout beyond the valve, a portion of thetube being of such form and dimensions that the pressure energy of thebeer is largely absorbed by friction at full fio-w therethrough, thespout being of greater crossarea than the main portion of the tube, andthe valve being formed to provide when partially opened avacuum-producing expanding space immediately beyond the restricted valveorifice, whereby the beer leaving the orifice at high velocity issuddenly subjected to a sub-atmospheric pressure.

5. The combination with a beer container and means for maintaining beertherein under a discharging pressure of more than 4 pounds aboveatmospheric pressure and less than the equilibrium pressure of the beerand at a dispensing temperature, of a draft tube having a valve at theoutlet end thereof and having a spout beyond the valve, the main portionof the tum being of internal cross-section and length such that thepressure energy of the beer is largely absorbed by friction at full flowtherethrough, the spout being tubular and of greater cross-area than themain portion of the tube and extending downwardly fro-m the valve, andthe valve being formed to provide whenpartially opened avacuum-producing expanding space immediately beyond the restricted valveorifice, whereby the beer leaving the orifice at high velocity issuddenly subjected to a sub-atmospheric pressure, and the valve having avent opening for admitting air to the upper inner end of the spout.

6. A device for drawing beer from a container in which beer ismaintained under a discharging pressure of more than 4 pounds aboveatmospheric pressure and less than the equilibrium pressure of the beerand at a dispensing temperature, comprising a draft tube of internalcrossarea and length such that the pressure energy of the beer enteringthe tube under the container pressure for which the device is intendedis largely absorbed therein by friction when full fiow through the tubeis permitted, a valve at the outlet end of the tube, and a tubular spoutbeyond the valve of greater cross-area than the tube, the valve beingformed to permit in full open position full flow through the tube and toprovide in another position a flow-restricting orifice and avacuum-producing expanding space immediately beyond the orifice, wherebythe beer leaving the orifice at high velocity is suddenly subjected to asub-atmospheric pressure.

JOHN C. BAKER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,165,605. ul 11, 19 9.

JOHN -C. BA R. It is hereby certified that error appears iri printedspecification of the above numbered patent requiring, correction asfollows: Page z, first column, line 70, for "5' and Lp'f read 5"and-11,"; and that-the said Letters Patent 7 should be read with thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of September, A. D. 19 9.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

